I. Metshin: “The letter of the law and equal access for all participants in the consumer market are our priorities”

(KZN.RU, April 15, Ksenia Shvetsova). The total retail trade turnover in Kazan in 2018 reached 532 billion rubles, which is 10% more compared to the previous year. The consumer market of the capital of Tatarstan is developing and attracting more and more players both large international companies and local ones. Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan, said this at the Business Monday. He marked that major events regularly held in the city become a springboard for the development of the consumer market, and instructed to ensure equal working conditions for all entrepreneurs.

Retail sales per capita amounted to 430 thousand rubles in Kazan last year, which is 35 thousand rubles more than in the previous period. Ruslan Fazylyanov, the chairman of the Consumer Market Committee, reported on the results of the last year. Over the past year, various types of services were provided to the population for a total amount of 72 billion rubles, which is 6% more than in 2017. The turnover of catering establishments amounted to about 25 billion rubles. “Every day Kazan citizens and visitors spend about 70 million rubles in catering establishments, which is 11% more than a year earlier”, said R. Fazylyanov.

“These are the results of our systematic work, the development of tourism. We have increased the number of events, the duration of the stay of tourists in the city. All this works for a common fund and not only increases the attractiveness of Kazan as a tourist city, but also develops related industries, works for the welfare of citizens”, said Ilsur Metshin, the Mayor of Kazan. “International companies come to us, which speaks about the civilization of the market, and at the same time the number of local players is growing”.

In order for the consumer market to continue to develop, it is necessary to ensure equal rights for all its players, as well as to demand that businessmen comply with uniform rules, added the Mayor. “The letter of the law and equal access for all market participants are our priorities in this work. We must demand from entrepreneurs a uniform style, there should be uniform approaches for everyone. And at the same time, it is necessary to ensure the maximum reduction of administrative barriers in all structures of the Executive Committee”.

Traditional agricultural fairs play a special role in the growth of retail trade. As R. Fazylyanov said, weekly fairs are held in spring and autumn on Saturdays at 16 sites. 24 rural districts and more than 40 agricultural companies sell their products to citizens.

This year, the spring fairs started from the end of March. During this time, residents have already bought products worth 65 million rubles.

In addition, 9 tent fairs started working on a daily basis from last year. At the same time, operators who were responsible for maintaining the territory and organizing fairs were identified for all tent sites.

“The work on finding additional fairgrounds is carried out on an ongoing basis together with the district administrations”, said the speaker. “Today, the issue is being studied about building a fairground in Yudino on Revolyutsionnaya Street”.

“Special gratitude to the President of the Republic, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and respected villagers for agricultural fairs”, said I. Metshin. “This is the hardest work, which in the conditions of our risky farming is especially associated with many factors. Thanks to the villagers for delivering high-quality agricultural products at competitive prices on the table for Kazan citizens”.

Agricultural fairs in Kazan will last until April 27.

Separately, R. Fazylyanov focused on the issue of placing non-stationary trading facilities. The layout of the non-stationary trading facilities on the territory of Kazan has 738 spots today. Since last autumn, 245 contracts have been concluded for the placement of trading facilities, from which 31 million rubles will be received by the city budget annually.

“In recent years, a lot of work has been done to improve the appearance of non-stationary objects and developed model projects for entrepreneurs. And since spring of this year, designed non-stationary trading facilities have begun to change in accordance with the standard and individual projects”, noted the speaker. For the first time in the past year, it was possible to realize the right to place non-stationary trading facilities under priority law. Entrepreneurs who have lost the opportunity to work in their places, due to changes in land legislation, have again acquired the right to trade. In total, 86 entrepreneurs took advantage of this opportunity, having concluded 207 contracts.

Fully work on the implementation of rights to place year-round non-stationary trading facilities will be completed this summer, said R. Fazylyanov. he added that seasonal trade will start in Kazan on May 1.

The work continues in Kazan on the implementation of the rights to place the trade in a pedestrian underpass. Today the rights are implemented in a pedestrian underpass on Ershov Street near Gorky Park. At the same time, the main task of the Consumers Committee is not earnings, but solving the problem of illegal trade in a pedestrian underpass, marked the speaker. This year, it is planned to implement the rights to locate trading facilities in two more pedestrian underpasses at the intersection of Dekabristov and Vosstaniya streets, as well as in Tukaya Square on Pushkin Street.

“Trading in pedestrian underpasses is not about money, but about the order. The city is changing, people are changing, needs are changing. And unfortunately, trading in pedestrian underpasses is the last century. Trade is the face of the city. Step by step, it is necessary to improve the culture of service and develop uniform standards for the work of entrepreneurs. All rusty lattices and unsuitable boxes should stay in the past”, concluded I. Metshin.